The Rise And Fall Of The Roman Empire: Life, Liberty, And The Death Of The Republic by Linton Barry

Author:Linton, Barry [Linton, Barry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Make Profits Easy LLC
Published: 2015-06-05T18:30:00+00:00

The Reign and Ruin of the Triumvirate

The specific time when the Triumvirate officially bound all three men together is unknown, though it is likely that it occurred before Caesar's election to the consulship rather than afterward.

Caesar was elected consul with the ineffective Bibulus as his counterpart. Pompey's desired agrarian law was passed, as were laws and regulations for the relief from overzealous tax farmers for Crassus. Caesar then dominated Roman politics for the year. It had been also during this span of twelve months that Caesar gave his child Julia to Pompey to wed, sealing his alliance in an exceedingly tangible means. All was likely proceeding according to plan. Yet only a decade later, the alliance would end in a catastrophic meltdown. The problem began in part with the death of Julia. The wedge was driven even further when Caesar traveled to Gaul at the conclusion of his consular term.

Pompey was fully aware of Caesar's actions during his campaign in Gaul. While Caesar was away, Pompey introduced legislation that rewarded the soldiers from his eastern campaigns with lands to farm. Caesar had many informers in the capital, as well as Senators that kept him apprised of what Pompey was up to. It is evident however that Pompey believed that Caesar could not see what he was doing and had no sources of military intelligence. His own lack of knowledge and colossal ego were coupled with an inferiority complex that turned their rivalry into a powder keg. This was not immediately evident, but over time it would present itself.

Caesar was aware of the risks related to leaving Rome for long periods of time, and sought to reduce this danger by becoming closer to Pompey. Crassus had appeared to have outlived his usefulness to Caesar, since the support of his allies had already been secured through his military conquests and taxation legislation. Pompey was nevertheless needed to a greater extent, not least of all because he still held considerable military and political power. In the year 59 BC he almost certainly still outmatched Caesar when it comes to resources. This instability was not to last, however.

Over the next years Caesar enjoyed great success in Gaul, accumulating wealth far beyond what his debts had been. A lot of this wealth he sent back to Rome, together with his famous memoirs written on his campaigns. The end result was that his prestige among the 'populares' and also the 'populus' in general continued to grow, while Pompey's own fame started to wane. Of the money that remained with Caesar, ample quantities were given to his soldiers for loyalty and effective service. By rewarding his troops, Caesar went even further to bolster his power. Their loyalty in essence made them into his military, not Rome's. It was to have great consequences leading up to the outbreak of civil war in 49 BC.

During the span of Caesar's absence from Roman politics, which lasted from about 58 to 56 BC, Pompey was struggling to maintain the position he felt he deserved as the First Man in Rome.

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